Maiden speeches tell all about new MPs

The Herald's political editor runs her measure over the speeches of new MPs and decides that the best was left to last.

The final maiden speech of the new Parliament was delivered on Thursday by Te Ururoa Flavell of the Maori Party.

In their maiden speeches, the 25 new members are expected to set out their backgrounds, their values and ideals and what they want to achieve as MPs.

Some of those who spoke revealed private things - Jacqui Dean of Otago met her husband when they both worked in a bar together; as a 10-year-old Craig Foss of Tukituki used to take his radio to bed and listen to Rob Muldoon in Parliament after the lights were out.

Some told moving stories from past lives - Whanganui MP and former cop Chester Borrows recounted the day he got to a fire in a shed - too late to save a young boy.

Some do it with ease and some are racked with nerves.

Some do it with flair, some with no imagination - but almost always they are listened to respectfully. It is the first test by which they are are judged as MPs.

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1. TE URUROA FLAVELL
Maori Party, Waiariki

A moving speech that had many MPs across the House dabbing their eyes. Delivered almost shyly but packed with pathos, anger, and humour in putting the case for the Maori Party.

"Mokomoko of Te Whakatohea made a statement before being hanged for a crime he did not commit. He has since been pardoned. Mokomoko said, "Tangohia te taura i taku kaki, kia waiata au i taku waiata." "Take the rope from my throat so I may sing my song." This, I believe, was a reference to his desire to let the world know the truth about his conviction. I feel like that today."

2. CHRIS FINLAYSON
National, list

Delivered with the ease of the accomplished litigator he has been, it was a finely crafted speech that wove political philosophy with real issues. Rather bravely, or perhaps foolishly, he set his sights against Parliament's smartest, Michael Cullen. But the speech passed the essential test: Do you want to hear more? Yes, please.

"The National Party takes the best of liberalism and conservatives. So, for example, a classic conservative Government would not have pursued the Treaty settlement policy advanced by the Bolger Administration in the 1990s. That great work was liberal-conservatism in action. As Benjamin Disraeli once said, his ideal government would be made up of Tory politicians and Whig policies."

3. HONE HARAWIRA
Maori Party, Te Tai Tokerau

Mercifully failed to deliver on suspicions that he was going to be Mr Bitter and Angry. An inspiring account of why he is in Parliament.

"I want to help create the environment where Maori feel positive about taking risk, and where they feel encouraged to seek their own solutions. I want to work to increase funding that encouraged positive Maori initiatives and resource those who dedicate their lives to their communities, both Maori and non-Maori. I want all to treasure the Treaty in the same way we are proud to embrace the haka. I want to challenge Maori to challenge ourselves to be all we can be, to refuse to accept the crime and poverty that infests our lives, and to lift ourselves to a status our tupuna dreamed for us. And I want this House to take up the challenge of helping to make that happen."

4. JOHN HAYES
National, Wairarapa

A deliciously undiplomatic speech by a former diplomat who made a career switch late in life. The sort of MP who looks as though he will call a spade a damned useless spade.

"My yardstick is the constituent in Kiripuni who earns $10.50 an hour. Think about how difficult it is to meet the costs of bringing up and educating a family, meeting the costs of accommodation and food, paying for holidays and providing for retirement on this sort of income. Poor incomes set the framework for social problems, and we need to address them. I note the self-congratulation for securing Sir Ken Keith's place on the world judicial stage. I ask what the millions of dollars of time and expense chasing this outcome will deliver to my constituent."

5. CHRIS AUCHINVOLE
National, list

Appearances and accents can be deceptive. This proudly Celtic MP not only had a compelling story to tell, he delivered it in a compelling manner.

"If my English pronunciation suggests to some of you lairds, castles and a silver spoon start in life, you couldn't be wronger. My father was a RAF squadron leader who died soon after the close of the Second World War, essentially as a consequence of his participation in it. My mother found herself bringing up five children under 13 in post-war Glasgow. I have a sharp memory of being brought up on a benefit - it's not a nice state ... We moved to England when I was about 10 and our mother contracted TB. We became wards of the state and the RAF Benevolent Fund kindly helped out ... paying for me to go to a boarding school."

6. MARYAN STREET
Labour, list

Top-shelf conviction speech on the rationality of social justice and the issues she will address.

"The shabby, slovenly thinking behind the detractors of what is pejoratively termed 'political correctness' must be seen for the crass political opportunism that it is. Pushing people to the margins of our society and then despising them for being there, purportedly in the interests of the great ill-defined 'mainstream' serves our democracy badly. All New Zealanders would be much better served if mainstream society was seen for what it is: a loose conglomeration of varying interests, all seeking to move forward peacefully and profitably within the laws of the land to improve their lot and the lot of others."

7. PAULA BENNETT
National, list

Like many, she exposed excruciating detail of her life story, but linked it well to her party's values in such a way as to present it as a personal blueprint.

"Like many other strong and outspoken teenagers, I took an unfortunate turn in my teenage years and found myself mixing with the wrong people and making some poor decisions. As a consequence, over 18 years ago I found myself to be an uneducated, unemployed, young solo mother with very few opportunities ahead of me ... but I also had a strong sense of self-responsibility."

8. CHRIS TREMAIN
National, Napier

Unsophisticated sentiments but conveyed in quite dramatic and passionate fashion, moving in and out of Maori and English. The most surprising and original speech.

"I believe we need to move this nation beyond the Treaty. For the sake of Maori and all other people of this land, we must move on. We need to look forward to set a pathway for the future. Continuing to look back over our shoulder will do nothing but drive a wedge between our people. Tama tu, Tama ora, Tama noho, Tama mate. In the words of this Ngati Kahungunu proverb, it is time to stand and look forward, not to sit and go backwards."

9. JONATHAN COLEMAN
National, Northcote

A superbly crafted speech that seamlessly traversed the past and the future, the personal and the political philosophy of the merits of competitive enterprise. Let down by its somewhat flat delivery.

"To build successful communities, there has to be something that binds the diverse people of our fortunate land other than lines on a map. There is. On the doorsteps of Beach Haven, in the Glenfield mall and in the street in Birkenhead if you stop just long enough to actually listen to people, they will tell you what they have in common with every person of every colour, race and history that now claims New Zealand as their turangawaewae. Put simply, like all New Zealanders, the people of Northcote aspire."

10. SHANE JONES
Labour, list

The reverse of No 9, this was a speech that was light on substance or passion but delivered with such force it appeared to be the opposite.

"Maori and Pakeha do have shared heritage. Indigeneity is both claimed and expressed by embracing Maori symbol and dance. When the haka rings out at Twickenham we all swell with pride. This is the enduring image we should accentuate. The focus must be on confidence, pride, ingenuity and independence."